Restless Emotions
by EmberFalcon
Summary: What would happen if Kagome couldn't take the pain? What would happen if Inuyasha actually HAD to choose who he loves more
1. Chapter 1

I know, I know! I should be working on "Two Souls, One Heart" but I can't help that these things just come to me! I was actually reading the comic where Kagome thinks about how she'll never come back to the Feudal Era but then decides that she will and her and Inuyasha hold hands at the end, and it got me thinking- what if Kagome couldn't take it anymore? This was the result of that. Enjoy!

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He was gone again.

That was something Kagome had acknowledged and tried her very hardest to show understanding toward. The fact that he had seen Kikyo's soul collectors and followed them was not that hard to grasp. The fact that he ha failed to notice the pleading look Kagome had given him as he turned away to run off again was one that was easily fathomable. The fact that he had yet to return was what got her worried. He had left at about midday, when they all noticed transparent white snake like demons floating lazily amongst the trees, tracing the group's path, glowing the branches eerily with their iridescent hue of a shade of sickly pale silver. It didn't take him longer than a moment before he took off into the branches, mumbling her name so softly Kagome almost missed it.

Now it was quarter to midnight, and he hadn't come back.

Inuyasha hadn't come back.

Kagome almost failed to keep a scowl from forming on her lips. _'And to think,'_ She thought bitterly as she awaited his return. _'Not even hours before he left, he was telling me how he was sorry for insulting me and that he cared for me.'_ It was indeed true. He had called her a, quote: "Weak ass clumsy, worthless human that wasn't worth the bother."

Unquote.

Not too long after the usual teary eyes and the screams of "SIT" over twenty times, he had hesitantly approached her with pleading amber eyes, saying he was so sorry for insulting her and that he didn't mean it. At that moment, she would have rather had him standing here, calling her the foulest of names and insults, rather than be with Kikyo. The fact that her soul collectors encircled the vicinity didn't help lighten the mood at all. They would trail around the campsite, as if on patrol to ensure Kikyo her 'quiet time' with Inuyasha went undisturbed. It was almost like Kikyo was rubbing it in Kagome's face that Inuyasha would rather be with her than her reincarnation.

Her thoughts were interrupted as there was a rustle in the bushes to her left. She reached slowly for her bow and quiver resting at her right side, lest it be anyone that was unwelcome in this camp. Her hand stilled once she saw that it was the very hanyou that had been on her mind since he had left, emerging from the thicket of bushes. His piercing golden eyes connected with hers with an intensity that he had never shown to her. She jerked her head the other way sharply, focusing on Shippo, who was curled up in her sleeping bag with Kirara, sound asleep.

"Kagome?" She remained unresponsive to his gentle call, her back stiffening at the sound of his voice. His thick brows knit together in a frown. _'She's usually biting my ear off or just acts sad…not so…tense…'_ He shook his head and tried again to catch her attention.

"Kagome, I'm back." He whispered so that only she could hear. She still had failed to face him, not wanting to see those gorgeous amber eyes, not wanting to see the muscular arms that had more than likely held Kikyo only moments ago; she didn't want anything to do with him at that particular moment. She stood and began to walk away, turning her head partially so that she could glare at him.

"Really…I never would have thought, Inuyasha." She spat his name so venomously that the said hanyou winced slightly. Now he was definitely confused- why was she being so cold all of a sudden? He had gone to see Kikyo before, but this time he had taken a bit longer, he had to admit that much. But Kikyo had a lot of information about Naraku, and he knew that she was vital to defeating the menace. Nothing but conversation had gone on between the two the entire time, he was about to make that much clear right here and now. He jogged to catch up with her, slowing to a walk once he was merely about a yard away from her.

"We were just talking, Kagome. Nothing hap-" She spun on her heel, causing Inuyasha to stumble at the sudden stop. The hanyou could clearly see the anger and pain in the girl's eyes as she glared at him.

"Nothing happened, right? Nothing happens between you and Kikyo, and yet you're always eager to run to her like some damn puppy chasing a stick! Nothing happens between you and Kikyo, yet you'll go to her knowing that it upsets me! I almost left for good the last time I saw you were with Kikyo, and yet it still didn't change anything! But according to you, nothing happens! Nothing ever happens!" She shouted, clearly upset with Inuyasha's actions. His ears flattened against his skull at the harshness in her voice, but knew deep in his heart that she was right, and that she had every right to tell him off like this. So, he said nothing, knowing he couldn't even argue any of what she said with a truthful comment. She didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon; her anger was flaring so intensely that Inuyasha could practically feel the heat emitting from her body in waves, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Here I always sat around, waiting for you to decide, trying to be fair with you no matter how much it hurts me. Well, I'm done with it. I'm done with _you_. I won't wait for you to choose anymore. Not here," She turned around and walked toward the path to the bone eater's well.

"I'm going home, Inuyasha. Don't follow me and don't even come anywhere near the well until you decide who you would rather be with. I find you in my era when you didn't make up your mind, I'll shove you back down the well and destroy it, you hear me?" Inuyasha knew right then and there that this wasn't like all the other times she went back to her time. She never threatened anything beyond sitting him until he had no spine left in his back. He swore his heart almost stopped beating at the thought of not being with Kagome. The very idea was so…unfathomable.

"Kagome…" The words died on his tongue before he could even gather them up into an intelligent sentence. What was he going to say? That she was wrong about everything she had said? That he hadn't gone to Kikyo no matter how much it may look like it? That she's just paranoid and can't trust him? No, those ideas were all very untrue. She was right- everything she said was right. He had gone to Kikyo, and he wouldn't even dare to lie to Kagome; she trusted him far too much and he didn't want to ruin that with her. And he most certainly couldn't ever call her paranoid. All she ever did was care about everyone, but not to the point where she was nosy and got into other peoples' business that didn't involve her. She remained unresponsive to his broken call and continued down the worn path to the well with her head held high and a stiff back. His soul cried out for her, begging her to come back and tell him that everything was alright. Deep down he knew that it wasn't going to happen…not this time. She was leaving and she wasn't coming back until he chose between two very important women in his life. She wasn't going to crack. She wasn't going to look back at his broken demeanor. He knew all of this, and almost ran to her, even went so far as to lean forward and step hurriedly.

"_Don't follow me and don't come anywhere near the well…"_

He couldn't make up his mind on what to do- his legs stumbled from the indecision of whether to run to her or to stand still. His head was reeling with her last words. They filled his every thought; his every logical reasoning was disrupted by her pained voice yelling at him. His world spun with confusion and emotions he had long since suppressed.

"…_until you choose who you would rather be with."_

He sank to his hands and knees. It was the only thing he knew he could still do. All he could do was breathe and kneel here in the dirt. There was nothing else he could think to do. How was he supposed to choose between obligation and desire? How could he decide between responsibility and love? A once love he had a debt to or a newfound love that accepted him unconditionally. Those were his options. He knew what he wanted, but he couldn't just ignore what he was responsible for. His duties had almost always come as a first priority, but now they conflicted with his heart. He was lost. He was torn. And he knew it. He stood on shaky legs, uncertain of his footfalls. He needed to get away. He needed to clear his mind to better choose between the two. He walked aimlessly back to the campsite, past his slumbering friends, and towards Kagome's yellow pack she had left behind. He rummaged around until he came across a notebook and a pencil. Leaving a roughly written note to the others, he stood hesitantly and continued through the woods. His usually sharp ears were deaf to his footfalls as he wandered without a direct destination deeper and deeper into the embrace of the forest.

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I can't help that I've got a writer's block, but tell me what you think. IT'S NOT THE END! I'm making this, like, five to eight chapters, but no longer. Unless you guys want otherwise, let me know!


	2. Leaving

I know it's taking me a while, but I've been watching the fourth movie! I got so many inspirations on this story from it, I had to get them all organized into what I was going to put into it and what I wasn't. So, all I have to say is, enjoy and review any comments you might have!

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"Took a walk, needed to clear my head- Kagome left, she's back in her time. If I'm not back by the time you read this, go ahead keep heading to Kaede's like we've been doing if you want to, I'll catch up. Inuyasha," Miroku looked up from the scrawled kanji written on the piece of paper to watch for Sango's reaction. Her face maintained its thoughtful expression ever since they had awoken to find that half of the campsite was missing, as were half of its inhabitants. Now that some of the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, it was pretty easy to guess what had happened. There was no denying that Kagome had been upset with Inuyasha for seeing Kikyo yesterday. Inuyasha had returned sometime while they were asleep- the note verified that- and was most likely met with a hurt and angered Kagome. What had taken place between them was still unclear, but they could safely assume that whatever interaction occurred between the two was the cause of Kagome's taking leave in the middle of the night. After a pregnant pause hung over the campsite for a few moments, Miroku stretched his arms behind his head a moment.

"Well, Inuyasha did say that he would catch up, so let's keep moving since there's nothing left to do." Sango nodded absentmindedly and lifted the Hiraikotsu onto her shoulder. Turning to pick up a still slumbering Kirara, she squatted and gathered the sleepy fire cat into her arms. As she stood, she saw that Miroku had already tucked Shippo into the crook of his arm to let the kitsune sleep a little longer. Giving her a nod signifying that he was ready, he took lead of the two and led Sango closer to Kaede's village.

--meanwhile…--

He had to see her again.

He knew that he had been warned not to come anywhere near the well until he had made the decision, but it was killing him not seeing Kagome, having her leave without a smile or a certain glitter in her eyes he had so easily taken for granted. Her absence was driving him insane with guilt and worry, and –against his better judgment- he walked out of Kaede's hut to the path to the Bone Eater's Well. Kaede had warned him that she had a bad feeling about him leaving, but he insisted on at least trying to make things right. How he was supposed to patch up a hole he knew was on the brink of unfixable was still a mystery to the hanyou, but he was pretty good at rolling with the punches. He was so lost in thought he almost failed to realize that he had just entered the clearing and was now mere feet away from the old well. He froze in his footsteps, placing a clawed hand on the lip of the ancient time portal. Should he do this? Was it like old Kaede said- that something bad would come out of this? He didn't know what to think anymore. He reverted to his instincts and let himself fall into the well's dark depths. Before his feet ever felt the floor, he was welcomed to the ever blue realm of rippling time streams whizzing past him. Kagome's era enveloped him within a white light, bringing him to the said time period.

For a few moments, he simply stood there in a stupor, trying to collect his thoughts. What was he going to tell her? That he hadn't made up his mind, but he missed her terribly and couldn't wait another minute to see her again? The last part might sound a bit romantic, but she would be infuriated when she found out that he still hadn't chosen. He gulped nervously, trying to shrug off the chill he felt crawling along his spine before he hopped out of the well effortlessly and began to ascend the steps of the Shrine. Sliding one of the doors to the side only enough for him to slip through, the hanyou closed it behind him once he was outside. He expected to become overwhelmed with the loud sound of those "cars" her time always had, but was surprised to find that the whole world had fallen silent, giving the hanyou the feeling as if he was the earth's main focus at that moment. He shook it off and began to cross the shrine grounds toward the Higurashi household with hesitant footfalls. As he neared the house, he veered left, heading to Kagome's bedroom window, as he always had. He paused underneath the window a moment, turning away from it to face the Sacred Tree before leaping onto the branch that jutted out close to Kagome's window. With abnormal grace and balance, he walked across the branch toward the window. Reaching out, he slid the glass panel aside smoothly and entered the empty room. He breathed in her soothing scent deeply, only to nearly choke on the breath. The mixed-in scent of tears was so strong in this room his head started spinning. He shook off the dizziness as the door unexpectedly opened, revealing his wonderful Kagome wearing a silk black nightgown with spaghetti straps that came just above the knees. Her eyes connected with his for only an instant before her hazel eyes widened and a gasp slipped through her lips.

"Kagome…I…" The words died on his tongue as he felt his heart flutter at the very sight of her. Once she had gotten over initial shock, she lowered her head to hide behind her thick ebony bangs. She couldn't look at him. She couldn't let him see her bloodshot eyes, couldn't let him feel her heart pounding in her chest, couldn't let him see what she was thinking. For once, she had to let herself follow Kikyo's footsteps in her own different way. She had to show no emotion.

"Have you decided?" There was a pregnant pause in the air as he stiffened. There was nothing in her voice- no pain, misery, sorrow…no emotion…nothing. She still had not met eyes with him, letting her bangs cloak her hazel eyes. He lowered his head slightly, his ears flattening against his skull. No more words were needed to be said. She understood perfectly.

"So, you can't make up your mind." It seemed more a statement than a question, but Inuyasha found himself responding anyway. "…I came…I came because…" Gods, how was he supposed to get through this without screwing it up? He wanted to sink to his knees and beg like the lost puppy that he was for her forgiveness. He would have if it had not been for his arrogant pride.

"…I just wanted to see you. Is that so much to ask…?" Her head snapped up, though it wasn't the reaction he had expected. Rather than look surprised or shocked, she looked insulted, furious, depressed, and hurt more than she had ever looked all these months of him knowing her.

"What if I didn't want to see you? What if I'm tired of being around a disgusting half-breed that refuses to give my heart a break? What if what you want and what I want are two entirely different things, Inuyasha? Did you ever stop to think about what I felt? No, you didn't. Because of that, this is where we are, this is where we stand. I don't want to associate myself with you anymore…I…I HATE YOU!" Inuyasha's heart couldn't have been in smaller pieces than it was at that moment. There, the woman that had stayed beside him through thick and thin, the girl who healed his cold and broken heart, the friend that had cared for him when no one else would, had been broken for the final time. He had a tight feeling in his stomach that was warning him that this was the terminal stop for them. This was it. He had pushed her too far, and now…now she wasn't coming back.

"…F-fine then…Kagome…" He lowered his head before she could see the tears that now trekked down his face sluggishly. He did nothing to get rid of them. Rather, he turned and practically flew out the window. He didn't notice himself falling down the well. He didn't register the time rip opening up to him, or welcome him back to the Feudal Era. He was broken. He was hollow. He was empty. He barely felt his feet touch the dirt of the well bottom. Oh, how tempted he was to sink to his knees and drown in his own agony, but he had to do what he always had.

He had to run.

He had to get away, get away from it all.

He leapt out of the well, barely waiting for an instant before he raced blindly through the forest, trying to see through the blur of his tears. His legs screamed for him to stop, but he was in automatic. He kept going. He ran further and further away from the village, deeper into the forest, escaping the well, hiding from his pain, keeping his past away from him. His legs burned with the want to end this pointless running, but there was his heart screaming for him to get further away.

_Don't stop…don't stop…_

This was hell. This inner turmoil was slowly killing him from the inside out. He had to breathe, his lungs cried out for it, but he just ran. He just ran from the pain that he knew would eventually catch up to him no matter how far he ran, or how fast. It was his shadow. It was his life. He couldn't escape it, no matter how far he pushed himself. His pain was always right there, right in his heart.

…_don't stop…you need to keep moving…keep running…get away from it all…_

He ran still further, nearing the bay where he and Kagome had sat not so long ago, when he apologized for insulting her. He needed to run away from that, too. It was connected to Kagome. He needed to keep going further, further away. His eyes had refused to end their flow of tears, trying to wash his pain away with the foreign salty water that escaped from his amber orbs.

…_don't…_

His legs gave one last shudder before he broke down on the dirt floor of the earth. Tears continued to stream from his now tightly shut eyes as he gripped his fingers in the dirt tightly. He never gave off a single indication that he was crying, other than the actual tears that fell. His lungs finally got the air they begged for, his back heaving quietly from lack of breath. His entire body throbbed with emotional pain that he had tried escaping, only to be stabbed in the back by it with an even stronger force than he had anticipated.

_Get up! You need to keep moving! Don't let it keep up with you! Don't stop!_

He didn't move for the longest while, not even caring that the sun had now come to set against the west horizon, almost failing to even register the fact, but when he finally managed to lift his head from the earth's ashy floor, opening his amber eyes, parting his thick eyelashes, still sticky from the tears that remained suspended on their tips. He carefully lifted himself from the ground and began stumbling back toward the village. There was no running. There was no hiding. There was only pain. That's all there was to it. His legs were visibly shaking under his weight as he neared the village. He lifted his head lazily and sniffed the air once to see how far off he had ran. From the weakness of Kaede's scent, he must have run at least ten miles. He had a lot of walking to do, and with his current condition with his legs…he wasn't so sure he'd make it until late tonight.

-…meanwhile…-

"Why, Inuyasha's came and gone. He left at half past sunrise and went to the well. I haven't seen him since, why do ye ask?" Kaede asked as the sun slipped underneath the horizon and darkness shrouded the skies. Sango and Miroku had just arrived and were curious as to the whereabouts of their hanyou friend. Well, at least he's trying to make it up to Kagome. Miroku cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Did he mention going _in_ the well?" Kaede sighed heavily, setting her mug of warm tea down and folding her hands within her kimono sleeves.

"Aye, that he did- I tried to stop him; I had a terrible feeling about it, but he insisted he make things right with Kagome. Oh-!" Kaede gasped as Inuyasha dragged his feet inside. Never had he appeared so broken to the others. His shoulders sagged sadly, his ears pressed against his skull, his legs shaking noticeably…what happened?

"Inuyasha…?" The said hanyou was unresponsive to Shippo's little voice, and simply slid down the wall across from them, bringing his knees to his chest. He just stared blankly just past his knees at the floor, his eyes barely open and dull. No matter what anyone said, he simply remained unresponsive and no matter how many times Kaede urged him to, he refused to sleep.

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IT'S NOT THE END! IT'S NOT THE END! Press the little button below to review! You know you want to!


	3. Contemplation

Movin' right along here with chappie 3! Thanks for all the awesome reviews!

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Kagome lied down on her back against her mattress. Her face remained thoughtful and somewhat unreadable as she gazed at the ceiling in a stupor. Not long after Inuyasha had run out near in tears, the young reincarnated miko simply went into a sort of daze, reliving the moment when she allegedly broke all ties with Inuyasha almost two weeks ago.

Inuyasha…

He seemed so…heartbroken when she had finally snapped. Almost like he wanted to take it all back just so she wouldn't hate him. Her eyelids drooped slightly. She honestly hadn't meant to say nearly half of what she did. She was just upset and had exploded, Inuyasha was just the victim. She wouldn't blame him if he ran to Kikyo to seek comfort from his pain, but she would be crushed. At least she knew that if he had run to Kikyo, the said resurrected priestess wouldn't get angry at him so easily. She wouldn't get in his face or say that she hated him. She might not want him to stay by her side for the same reasons as Kagome, but at least he would have decided something so that she could move on. But that was the problem. Not only did she not want to move on, but this idea was pure speculation that Kikyo was soothing his dejected soul, and with no solid evidence to back it up, it remained speculation. She shut her eyes, letting her tears flow freely from her thick eyelashes. Oh, how her heart ached for her…for Inuyasha…for their possible relationship…so much that one girl's heart isn't supposed to support for this long. Thank the gods she was a priestess.

Then again, maybe she shouldn't be so glad that she wound up being a reincarnated priestess. After all, she was the reincarnation of Kikyo, the one who had originally fallen in love with Inuyasha. Even if he had chosen Kagome in the end, how was she supposed to know it was only a transfer of his love for Kikyo to Kagome's body? How could she tell whether or not he was imagining her to be his past love and fail to see her for her? She trusted him on that, but doubt was like an injection of snake venom to her faith; deadly, quickly dissolving what was left into a rotting corpse of what once was her unwavering trust in him. But where he was the venom, he was also the antidote. He would easily open up to her and to her alone. He had even once mentioned, in Naraku's nightmare vines, that he hadn't even come around for Kikyo, only for Kagome, though the two women were within the same basic vicinity. He had even gone so far as to grasp her hand tightly in reassurance and actually almost beg her to believe him to get his point across to her. Absentmindedly, Kagome wrung her hands together, almost imagining that her hanyou's rougher, larger hand clasped itself over the both of hers gently. She shook off the notion. No, that couldn't happen, not anymore. Tears threatened to return to her bloodshot eyes. He had left, and she was the one that had pushed him away. And, to top it all off, she had been in this daze for nearly two weeks, and she was still uncertain about what to do. Oh the irony of that; she had pushed him away because of his indecision at the start of this mess, but in the end it was she who held indecision on whether to return to the Feudal Era or not.

Sighing heavily, she slowly opened her eyes, staring at her plain white ceiling as if it had the answers to all her problems written all over it. That wouldn't be so bad, having one great big cheat sheet on your life that you could look at whenever you were in your room. But alas, things were never as simple as Kagome would have liked. When it boiled down to it, Inuyasha was still in his era, she was still in hers, and nothing had been accomplished from this but a living hell that they were both being put through. Oh, how she wanted so badly to run to the well and seek out her hanyou, but she was almost certain that he didn't want to see her anytime soon. Then again, she absolutely had to make things right with him. It was the least she could do…especially after…

"_What if I'm tired of being around a disgusting half-breed that refuses to give my heart a break?"_

Disgusting half-breed…that was what she had called him. She had no right to say that to him, no matter what turmoil she had been put through, that was something he was accustomed to hearing his entire life, and had trusted her not to hurt him in the same manner. She broke that trust. She didn't even mean to, she never wanted to, but she went and called him that foul name that cut his heart deep down no matter how tough he tried acting. She knew it upset him when he was called that, no matter whom or what was calling him that insult, it hurt all the same. But when a friend insults him like that…imagine how much worse it is…

"…_I don't want to associate myself with you anymore…"_

That was a flat out lie. She wanted to be _his_. His and only his, his first, his only love, she dreamt of it often, and prayed every night for it to be true. It always seemed that it was just a wild dream that could never be, and after what she said, even if she was just mad and taking out all her anger out on him, she blew it. She shot every chance of being with him out of the water. She would give anything to take it all back, to hug him close and say that she didn't mean any of it and try to put into words how sorry she was. But she feared that she might have pushed back too hard, too far.

"…_I…I HATE YOU!"_

She brought a clenched hand over her heart as she felt it give a painful stab of guilt and agony. She didn't even feel remotely close to that. She didn't hate him. She never did and never could. No matter how much someone tries to tell her otherwise, she knew that she couldn't find it within herself to hate him, no matter how much he had put her through. She loved him, and there was nothing that could change that. Even if, in the end, he chose Kikyo over her, she would still love him from a distance, giving him his space with his love. But…if he did chose Kagome…she would swear to any him, to any higher power, to anyone or anything, that she would remain at his side, always.

That had settled it right there.

She was going back.

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Suspense! I love it! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-cough- -cough- well, push the little button below to tell me what you think. Ja-ne!


	4. Farewell, Kikyo!

Phew! I thought that it'd be pretty fitting if I had a chapter mainly focusing on Kagome, then a chapter mainly focusing on Inuyasha and his decision. Hope you all enjoy!

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"Inuyasha, ye must at least get some sleep, it's been nearly two weeks, now." Kaede urged the hanyou sitting against Goshinboku, his knees tucked up to his chest. He had staggered there about a day after Kag…after _she_…left, and hadn't moved from the spot since. He couldn't quite bring himself to look at the well, so he had positioned himself against Goshinboku's trunk on the side facing away from the path toward the well. He only came so close to it because the sacred tree had always calmed his soul and relaxed him whenever something was on his mind. He had hoped that the tree's aura would have eased at least some of the pain of losing K…_her_, but it didn't even scratch the surface of his heartache. If anything, this was where they had first met, but the thought hadn't occurred to Inuyasha until he spotted the worn out section of bark where his very body had been dangling from for fifty consecutive years, but the tree's aura beaconed to him, almost like a mother comforting a child. So, here he sat, for thirteen days, not moving, not sleeping, not eating. The said hanyou remained unresponsive to the aged priestess's suggestion of sleep, keeping his gaze steadily set on the earth floor before him. Kaede simply walked back to her hut shaking her head, wondering just how much more of this he could handle.

As Inuyasha sat there, leaning against the great roots of Goshinboku, his eyes swiveled to his left as a pale silver soul collector floated lazily around the sacred tree, weaving left and right through the thick roots. His eyes widened, as he instinctively leaned a little away from the demon.

"Inuyasha…"

"…No…"

--…meanwhile…--

Kagome walked down the three steps of the shrine toward the well thoughtfully, almost hesitantly as she reached the old wooden structure. She paused a moment, tracing the lip of the well absentmindedly with the tips of her fingers. The want to see Inuyasha again was slowly hurting her inside, bit by bit it broke her heart. Now she understood how he had felt when he came to see her two weeks ago. The realization only made the weight of her guilt push down on her chest even more. She had to make things right with Inuyasha. This whole mess had been her fault, and she needed to make it up to him any way that she could…even…even if it meant that he didn't want to ever see her again. With that thought in mind, she placed a foot on the ledge of the well, lifted herself up, then let herself fall right through the dark opening. She never touched the bottom. The blue abyss of the time rip washed over her features as she was welcomed to the Feudal Era.

Upon climbing out of the well, she noticed several soul collectors flittering around the sacred tree up the path. Her heart sank deep down in the pit of her stomach. _'Please don't tell me I was right…don't tell me he chose Kikyo-! Then again…if anyone is to blame, it's me…'_ Kagome thought painfully, gathering up her broken courage and advancing toward the tree. What she saw was somewhat what she had been expecting. Kikyo was standing about a yard away from Inuyasha, who was sitting against Goshinboku with his knees tucked to his chest, but he looked…different. He looked almost as pale as Kikyo, his eyes wide, dark circles evident underneath his dim amber orbs. As Kikyo advanced slowly on Inuyasha, Kagome almost failed to let out a gasp of surprise as Inuyasha pressed himself tighter against the tree, struggling to stand up as he did so.

"Inuyasha…she has not yet returned, has she?" Her even voice broke the tense silence that hung in the air between the two. Inuyasha stood up, his legs shaking almost uncontrollably underneath him. His eyes turned three shades darker at Kikyo's remark, his eyelids drooping to cover his eyes almost completely. Did she honestly have to keep showing up? Over the past two weeks, Inuyasha had come to the conclusion that he had never felt love toward Kikyo- at the time, he was desperate to find someone to accept him, and Kikyo was the only one he could get close to without having her run off or having to kill her in defense. At the time, he hadn't looked for faults in her, and didn't take the time to get to actually know what a cold bitch she really was. Now he regretted it. And now that he made his decision, it was too late…_she_ had already made hers. When the hanyou didn't respond to her question, the resurrected priestess sighed in relief and took a few more steps toward him, only to freeze as he drew back quickly.

"What's the matter? With her gone, why not join me in death, Inuyasha?"

"Go to hell alone. I don't love you, I never did. I don't think you ever loved me, either." Kikyo's eyes widened in shock and outrage. How dare he say those things about their relationship? What has her reincarnation done to him? What spell has she cast over this half-demon? It was simply unheard of that Inuyasha growl or even snap at her like that. He had never done that before…ever-!

"You must let her go, Inuyasha…look at yourself! You haven't eaten, slept-"

"So now you're _watching_ me, too? I'll say this once and ONLY once, so pay attention, Kikyo- if I have to get over anything, it's _you_. I was an idiot and refused to do so. You weren't any help in that matter, always hanging around and making me feel like I was fucking obligated to see you every time! Love in unconditional, what we had wasn't! You could only love me as a human, well what about my demon blood, huh? What about that half of me? I was foolish and believed you when you said you wanted nothing more than to die with me, and that my life was yours, and now I have realized my mistakes! But I realized them too late…and…and now Kagome is…she's gone…" The tears he had been suppressing were now being released from his tired, hurt amber eyes, streaking his pale white face. Kikyo was left in a stupor. Never had Inuyasha used such harsh words, and yet…now she understood. Now she understood why he had not come seeking her out, why he refused to be with her. It was her reincarnation. He had finally and truly fell in love with someone that he could say he would do anything for and really mean it, even if it meant letting them go. It all made sense to her now.

"Goodbye, Inuyasha." Kikyo said nothing more as she watched tiny silver orbs float freely from her chest, soaring to the heavens to receive their long awaited judgment, her soul collectors dissipate into misty nothingness. And as her body faded into ashes, she could only sense her soul finally at peace. Inuyasha knew what had happened, but he didn't really give a damn. So what if she returned to ashes? Kaede's plants might get a little more fertilized now, but that's about all the good that would come out of that. He didn't care about Kikyo…because Kagome…

"Kagome's gone…I…"

"Inuyasha…" His head snapped up to the sound of…no, no that couldn't be…it was…it was…_her_. There she stood, in the same nightgown she was wearing two weeks ago. The exhaustion was quickly catching up with him; that had to be it. She couldn't be here right now, no way.

"Inuyasha…" She stepped cautiously toward him, reaching out her hand to his. The slightest brush of her fingertips against his claws was enough to have him convinced. She was here. She was real.

Kagome had come back.

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NOT THE END! NOT THE END, I TELL YOU! Make a wish and push the little button to see if it comes true (well, about this story, I'll see what I can do!)


	5. confessions of a puppy

Thanks so much for all the great feedback so far everyone! Keep 'em coming; I love to know what people are thinking when they read my stories! Here's the next chappie (side note: I already have another chapter in mind, but if no one wants me to put it up, and just leave this chapter as the end, I'll just leave it here)

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"…Kagome…"

Her name tasted sweet on his tongue, even more so because he hadn't said it in nearly two weeks. He was more than tempted to throw his arms around her and beg for the forgiveness he knew he did not deserve, but he was even still sore over being called a disgusting half-breed by the one he loves. So, rather than give into his desires, he jerked his hand away from hers the moment her fingers brushed against his claws. It wasn't so much of a snatching his arm away so much as it was his hand twitching against her gentle touch before curling into his long flowing sleeve. When Kagome looked into his eyes for the first time in what seemed an eternity, he almost breathed a sigh of relief when he found no hatred or anger, or even disgust in her swirling vortexes of hazel and open emotions. Kagome couldn't help but choke back a sob as she saw the painfully evident sadness and hurt in his eyes. Up close, he appeared an even bigger mess than when she spotted him sitting under the tree. It almost looked like he had half a tube of eyeliner on each of his eyes because of the dark circles underneath them, his skin appeared sheet-white, making the term "white as a ghost" seem more of a reality than a phrase, almost matching his silver locks of long hair, and his eyes…oh gods, those gorgeous amber eyes were too beautiful to be so bloodshot and full of tears. The sight made her heart look almost completely whole, he appeared so broken. His eyes asked the question he could not in words; he asked her why…why did she have to call him such a foul name? She answered almost timidly, her voice choking from keeping her tears at bay.

"I…I'm so sorry…" She whispered, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. His arms didn't hesitate to find their way around her body gently to hold her closer to him, resting his cheek against the crown of her head. His tired amber orbs were covered by his heavy eyelids as he breathed in her scent with shaky, almost timid, breaths.

"I didn't mean it…any of it…please forgive me!" She whispered against his chest, nuzzling her head into the fire rat haori. Inuyasha shook his head a little against her ebony hair, placing one hand on the back of her head to keep her there with him.

"You don't have to ask for something you didn't even need. If anything, after all this hell I put you through…it's _me_ that should be doing the apologizing, Kagome." Though his hold was gentle, so light that if she had taken a single step backward, she wouldn't have to put forth much effort to walk out of his embrace, Kagome only leaned more into his chest, sighing quietly into the fabric of the fire rat haori. Despite how much pain the two had been put through these past two weeks, she smiled, and decided to use his own words against him.

"You don't have to ask for something you didn't even need." He couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face in utter relief. Having that much of a weight being lifted from his heart only caused him to deepen his embrace, tightening his arms considerably around her waist a moment before attempting to pull away to look her in the eye. However, upon stepping backwards, his legs gave out under him, and he nearly fell to his knees, had Kagome not placed her arms around him again and caught him.

"Inuyasha!" She breathed as she just barely managed to stop him from collapsing on his knees. What had happened to him while she was gone? What had he done- or, what _hadn't_ he done for this to happen…?

"Are you alright…? What happened to you while I was gone?" She whispered in his white fluffy dog ear atop his head, which was currently resting on the junction of her shoulder and neck comfortably. He laughed under his breath against her skin, warming the spot noticeably.

"Don't mind it, I'm just a little tired, that's all." He carefully stood back up, returning her embrace again for a moment before –slowly- pulling away to look into her eyes.

"Come on; let's head back to the village." He suggested in a half tired, half relieved voice, slipping his hand over hers. She smiled and gave a nod of agreement before following him to Kaede's hut. But as they walked, Kagome couldn't help but notice that the more Inuyasha walked beside her, the more his legs shook and the more he tried his best not to stumble down the path. She was worried, but said nothing as they approached Kaede's hut, knowing it would only embarrass him. As they stopped before Kaede's door, Kagome was about to enter the hut, when Inuyasha's hand on her arm stilled her movements. She looked up into his eyes questioningly, but waited for him to explain it himself.

"Stay by me…?" He whispered, making it sound more like a question than a request. Her eyes softened as she smiled gently at him. She slipped her hand within the hold of his own, nodding her answer. He grinned, turning and leading her to a tree that was near Kaede's hut, sinking down against the trunk of it before motioning for Kagome to follow suit. She did, at his side at first, but gasped in surprise as he placed her in his lap and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her tenderly to his chest as he leaned his back against the tree. She tensed a moment in surprise, but relaxed and snuggled into him a little more. She couldn't help but notice the tremor in his body as he held onto her, as if it was straining his muscles from holding her so tightly, so close. She began to rub her hand softly against his side, but froze in her ministrations as she felt something almost like tiny curves where his skin sunk in every inch. _'Wait…he was stumbling earlier, his body's trembling, and now…'_ She gasped against his chest as she put the pieces together. She hoped to every higher power that he hadn't done what she thought he did.

"Inuyasha…?" She whispered, but there came no response, only a soft, almost silent purr escaping Inuyasha's chest, indicating that he was sound asleep.

"So, he's finally gotten some rest." Kagome turned her head to the right at the sound of Miroku's voice, seeing the houshi squatting about two feet away from them, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara all gathered beside Miroku. Kagome's eyes widened.

"He hasn't been sleeping…?" She gasped incredulously.

"Or eating, he hasn't eaten or slept since you left. It's good to see him finally resting. It wouldn't have been bothering us so much if he hadn't ran nearly ten miles from the well the day you left, then came stumbling back…we tried to get it out of him right there, but he wouldn't talk to anyone for days. He finally told Miroku about a week ago, that's when we found out. But at least he's sleeping again." Sango added quietly, so as not to wake the slumbering hanyou before the four walked bade Kagome a goodnight and went back into the hut. Kagome gasped in shock. So, it was just like she thought- that he hadn't been eating well enough- but she didn't know that he had been starving himself, and depriving himself of sleep! _'He's thin enough as it is, but to not have eaten or slept for two weeks…'_ The miko felt her heart break from the guilt she was feeling. She felt tears come to her eyes as she returned her hand to his side. His ribs were sticking out to the point where she could fit her fingers in the gaps where his skin dipped in between each rib. Her thoughts were broken as she heard him sniff quietly before hearing his quiet voice issue forth, worry and concern evident in his tone.

"Kagome, why the tears, what's wrong?" He whispered softly in her ear, nuzzling her hair a bit lazily. She looked up and forced him to look at her by gently tugging on his side lock of chest length silver hair. He did as she requested, gazing at her quizzically. She sniffed softly before leaning her head up and gently kissing his cheek.

"Why did you starve yourself and refuse to sleep while I was gone? Did I…" He placed a finger to her lips, smiling a little despite how serious this was. Even though he was a hanyou, even a full fledged demon wouldn't have lasted much longer without food and rest before it would have collapsed or worse, its body would have just shut down. In all honesty, when Kagome had said all that she had, he lost the will to live. He didn't even want to try anymore.

"It was my choice to die than to have you hate me. I never told anyone this, but I don't think I really needed to." He chuckled tiredly, nuzzling his nose into the crown of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her raven locks of hair. Her head drifted back down to his chest a moment before she whispered,

"Just…don't do that again, okay?" He nodded tiredly against her head. She smiled against his chest, almost positive he could feel it through his haori. Just before she fell asleep, she faintly heard Inuyasha mumble something in her ear. She lifted her head to look at him curiously as he leaned his forehead against hers, gazing at her with half lid eyes.

"What was that, Inuyasha? I didn't hear you." He rubbed his hand slowly up and down the small of her back, feeling the smooth silk of the nightgown against his fingertips.

"Have a good night, Kagome." Kagome smiled warmly at him, closing her eyes gently.

"Sweet dreams, Inuyasha." With that, her head drifted down back to his chest, as his head rested on top of hers. He tightened his grip on her before he fell asleep contently; Kagome snuggled up in his arms.

--…next morning…--

Yawning sleepily, Kagome opened her eyes a moment, smiling at the thought that the first thing she could see was Inuyasha's blood red fire rat haori and she cuddled a bit more against his chest. Carefully looking up without moving her head all that much, for fear that Inuyasha would wake, she smiled in relief that he didn't look so gaunt and pale. His skin had gotten some of its color back, and the dark circles under his eyes were nonexistent, and (she blushed at this one) she also noted how much tighter his arms had now encircled her than they had last night, almost like he had always done when he had hugged her before. So tight, that when she attempted to sit upright, he pulled her possessively back down to him, cuddling her like a toddler would a teddy bear. She giggled softly at how sweet he was being, not fighting against his hold. Her arms rested on the sides of his stomach comfortably as she melted against his frame.

"Sleep well, I take it?"

"Oh-! Inuyasha, good morning!" She piped cheerfully as she looked up at him, giving him one of the most gorgeous smiles she had ever given him. He couldn't help but smile in return; a smile that bright was just a tad too contagious for anyone to resist returning, especially coming from Kagome. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, he felt his stomach tie itself in a painful knot that he couldn't help but wince from. Kagome's smile faded, being replaced by a look of concern that Inuyasha was glad had returned to her eyes in a way; it confirmed that she cared for him enough to worry.

"Are you alright, Inuyasha?" She asked, lifting her head from his chest. He nodded almost absentmindedly as the pain eased.

"Yeah, but do you have any food in your pack? I'm kinda hungry." _'Kinda hungry, yeah…right, I'm freakin' STARVING!'_ He thought silently to himself, though decided not to voice such an outburst. She giggled and nodded, almost regretfully pulling herself out of his embrace and making her way back to the hut to dig around in her bag for something for them to both eat, more for Inuyasha's sake than hers (after all, he hadn't eaten in two weeks), Inuyasha behind her. In all honesty, he regretted saying anything about being hungry, because it broke their embrace. Sure, it made him sound like a hopeless romantic, but hey, Kagome was his only love, and being so close to her was an experience to behold for him. He watched her through Kaede's window as she rummaged around a moment in her oversized backpack before pulling out three cups of chicken flavored ramen noodles for them to eat. He leaned casually against the wall as he waited for Kagome to exit the hut with the uncooked noodles he came to like so much. Only a moment later, Kagome emerged from past the bamboo curtain that served as a makeshift door with her usual cheery smile, though Inuyasha couldn't help but notice just how much more…genuine it seemed than before.

After eating two of the three cups of ramen Kagome had brought (Kagome ate one herself), Inuyasha leaned back on his hands with a content smile on his face. Kagome couldn't help but sigh in relief that all the color had returned to his skin…and his eyes. Before, when he had not noticed her return, she couldn't help but see the lack of liveliness his eyes held, as if someone was watching a sunset through a thick screen; it was still nice to look at, but the blackness of the screen washed out almost all the beauty and color of the sight before the person observing it. Now that screen of darkness was lifted from the amber in Inuyasha's eyes, and Kagome was now allowed to see the true beauty of his irises. She smiled at that.

"Thanks Kagome," Kagome nearly did a double take; Inuyasha was…_thanking_ her? Even if he did mumble it, it was still a thank you! Whoa, maybe he was still a little lightheaded from lack of sleep, or something. That had to explain his being out of character. She must have looked ridiculous, because Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle at the look on her face, but said nothing more. Rather, he suddenly stood up, offering Kagome his hand. Now she was _really_ confused.

"Come with me," How could she say no to his adorable puppy dog face? She nodded and took his hand, still a little puzzled at the sudden change in Inuyasha. She blinked in surprise, but grasped his hand gently nonetheless as she lifted herself up. He began walking toward Goshinboku, tugging her hand softly, just enough to get her attention. She followed at his side without question, slightly tightening her grip on his hand trustingly. He kept his gaze focused on the path ahead of him as he tried so desperately to collect the thoughts that flooded his mind like smoke and put them into an actual intelligent sort of logical reasoning. This was it. This was where his friendship with Kagome would either be shattered or developed into an everlasting love. At this sacred tree, where it all began, may begin a new chapter of happiness for the both of them, or inner death for the hanyou. He knew he couldn't keep his emotions bottled up much longer. He could sense the barrier he had so carefully placed around his heart beginning to crumble; -his earlier displays of affection were proof enough of that- and he wasn't so sure he'd be able to keep this up for much longer before the dam finally broke and he started to get desperate. He came close to it many times in the past two weeks. That, and he knew Kagome wasn't going to take much more of it either –her taking leave for such a long time and being angered my him with such an intensity were testimony enough- and was likely to just leave when she finally decided enough was enough.

And as the said tree came into view, his grip on her hand tightened even more, mainly out of nervousness; he was doing what his heart told him to do, for once, he wasn't shutting out its call, but rather embracing it and listening to its advice. Even if she tells him that she could never return the feelings, at least he could now rest a little easier knowing that he took the opportunity and used it to its full potential, not just letting it slip by for the umpteenth time and wallowing in even more regret until the next one arose, if there was even a next one to show up. Even if she only liked him as a friend, at least his feelings would be out, and there would be no regrets about it. So, taking one last breath, he stilled before the tree's massive roots, dazing off as he stared at the tree for a moment, vaguely realizing that Kagome was following suit, their hands still intertwined.

"This is where it all started for you and me." Inuyasha's thoughtful voice cut through the comfortable silence between the two, causing Kagome to peel her gaze away from the sacred tree to look at the hanyou.

"Yeah…it is," She mumbled in the same tone of voice, wondering where this conversation was going.

"This is where I hope something else starts as well…something I've been hoping for longer than I let on…" His sentence hung in the air as he looked down at his feet, one of which was scuffling the loose dirt in a tiny circle of dust.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" He took a deep breath and held it as he faced Kagome fully, reaching out his free hand to grasp her empty hand, gently bringing her a baby step closer, not enough for their bodies to touch, but enough to the point he had received her complete attention.

"I…I love you. When I left your era, I realized something as I stumbled away from the well; I realized that I was missing something, that I was incomplete. Then it hit me- I was missing you. I wanted you to be here. I wanted you to be here with _me_…to…to me my mate. That's what I hoped started at this spot; a life with you by my side always. I'm not saying that you need to forget you era, just…I just want to be with you, if that's okay. If not, I just want to still be friends with you; I value what we have more than I ever let on, and I'm sorry that I hid this from you for so long." His amber eyes now his behind his ivory bangs as he waited with baited breath for her to respond. There came no actual vocal reply, and just when Inuyasha was about to give up hope for their love to grow, he felt fragile arms slip around his waist and shoulders, hugging him gently.

"I love you, too, you big puppy."

"Hey, am not!"

"Oh, you are so, and I can prove it!"

"Oh really, I'd just love to see-"

Damn, she just _had_ to start petting his ears, didn't she?

He was busted, and yes, he was a puppy.

He pulled her into his embrace as he began to purr deep in his chest, shutting his eyes as he welcomed the lovely feeling of Kagome's fingers massaging the inside and outside of his left ear. It felt so incredibly…_good!_ He couldn't help but nuzzle his head under her hand more so that she would have better access to it, a fanged smile spreading across his face.

"Oh, and you're not a puppy, right?"

"Nope, I'm not a-"

Aww shit, she found the sensitive spot.

"…Okay…I'm a puppy." He mumbled dazedly before he caught Kagome's unsuspecting lips with his own.

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Everyone knew I was going to make a crack at the puppy dog ears, didn't you? There's a little button below, see it? Click it and tell me how you think this turned out, and whether or not you would like a sequel in the near future.


	6. Epilogue

I couldn't resist writing an epilogue that bridged this story and its sequel together, the thought was just too tempting! So, here's the epilogue, and when the sequel's up, I'll update an author's note on here giving you guys the title and the whole deal, okay? Enjoy!

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"Aww, come on Inuyasha, it's only been a few days since Kagome left. Don't tell me that you've _already-_"

"Don't _even_ finish that sentence, Miroku."

"But, you two _are_ officially a couple now, right?" It was, in fact, the honest to gods truth; Inuyasha and Kagome were 'officially' a couple (even thought they've basically been 'together' since the whole Thunder Brothers thing, in Inuyasha's mind) since the night they had made up for both of their wrongdoings. And now, about another week after that incident, Inuyasha was, of course, sitting with his back against the well, waiting for Kagome to come back. Miroku had just 'happened to be passing by,' as he put it, and squatted down across from his hanyou friend.

"Well, yeah of course we're together and all, but…she shouldn't take so long! It's almost like she takes even more time, even though I know she tries to make her visits shorter, time just seems to go a whole lot…slower, now." He mumbled the latter sentence under his breath, though the monk picked up every word of it. Just as Miroku opened his mouth to say something, he watched in amusement as a soft blue light bounced off of the deep walls of the ancient well. Deciding that now was just as good a time as any to go and grope Sango for the umpteenth time that day, the houshi stood and dusted off his monk robes briskly before making his way back to the village. As the monk's figure drew further away from the well, Inuyasha practically leapt up in utter happiness as Kagome's sweet scent of raspberries and vanilla filtered through his sensitive nose. He eagerly reached down and caught Kagome's hand within his own, yanking her up without warning, straight into his powerful arms. Before her legs were even over the lip of the well, he was already pressing his lips to hers sweetly. He felt her smile against his lips before she lifted her legs out of the well, swinging them over to land softly on the grass in front of her Inuyasha.

"Not very patient, are we, Inuyasha?" Kagome said teasingly as they parted. He snorted arrogantly before burying his nose into her scalp. He smirked into her hair as he held her closer, mainly for the sole reason that she was here again. It may not seem like such a big deal for anyone else, but hey, this was his girlfriend! He even made Shippo promise that he would wait until Kagome came into the hut to say hello to her (more like threatened him that if he was spotted anywhere near the well his tail would be hung on Kaede's wall, but who cares about the details?) In response to her question, he began treating the side of her neck to little puppy kisses that she couldn't help but giggle at (they tickled!).

"It's good to have you back, Kagome." He mumbled in between his ministrations to her neck. He stopped in mid-lick of her neck when he felt her tense a moment in his arms before carefully whispering his name, causing him to pull his head away from her neck and look her directly in the eyes.

"I came to say goodbye."

"Whaaaaa-?"

"I'm not leaving for good, Inuyasha, don't worry!" He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding before tightening his hold on her, mainly to reassure himself that she was still there.

"Don't _do_ that to me, woman! And if it's not for good, where are you going?"

"I'm going to London to visit some of my pen pals, so I'll be a while."

Silence, then…

"…Where's London?"

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Just enough of a cliffy for the sequel! Like I said, I'll update an author's note on this story giving you guys all the info on the sequel that you'll need.


	7. UPDATE!

UPDATE! SEQUEL IS NOW UP!

It's titled "The London Experience" and is, of course, written by EmberFalcon.

Just look under Romance/Humor and Inuyasha/Kagome in the search engine, okay? Enjoy everyone!


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